


Interlude

by mage_girl



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Comfort, Intimacy, Late Night Conversations, M/M, Post-Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Pre-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Sibling Incest, Sibling Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-03
Updated: 2018-05-03
Packaged: 2019-05-01 14:09:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14522307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mage_girl/pseuds/mage_girl
Summary: There is but a brief moment in which to discuss many things.Thor and Loki use this time to heal, to reflect, to plan for the future.Bonus: Loki and Heimdall conversationBonus bonus:  snuggling and late night conversation





	Interlude

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KellerProcess](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KellerProcess/gifts).



> This is for the very patient and wonderful and generous @KellerProcess for the @fandomtrumpshate event! Thank you SO much for your donation! It was so fab communicating with you through email. This fic is the result of our conversations. :)
> 
> All thanks to my fabulous beta, Librariandrew who, as always, makes my fic 1000% better in all the ways. Thank you so much, love! <3

The ship was quiet.  Oddly so as there was usually much more noise in a ship filled with the very last of Asgard’s people. The refugees were doing their best to adjust to their new status as wanderers but it wasn’t easy.

 

Thor busied himself with affairs of the kingdom. He knew one day he might be worthy to step into his father’s place. He never, in his wildest dreams, thought it would be under these circumstances. He was a king without a throne, roaming with his subjects without a homeland. He thought the trials he’d endured had prepared him for this moment. His lesser self would have been unable to comprehend the subtle array of decisions in front of him.

 

Loki prowled the ship at night. He would walk from one part of the ship to the other with steps slow and measured. He barely spoke to anyone. He greatly avoided Heimdall and Valkyrie equally. The only person he tolerated was, ironically, Bruce Banner who was still the Other Guy. It seems as though he and Loki had come to a truce. Hulk would solemnly pace beside Loki, sometimes rumbling at him, sometimes silent.

 

Thor worried about his brother in his little remaining free time. He dealt with the day to day tasks of being a ruler. He meted out punishment when needed and rewarded actions that made all of their lives easier. He consulted with Heimdall as to what their next move should be. However Heimdall was hesitant and wary. 

 

Valkyrie slipped in and out of places where she would do the most good. She was looked upon with awe and admiration. She told Thor that it was odd to hold those responsibilities and be seen as a warrior again. She wanted to hide sometimes, she admitted to Thor. But she was often trailed by two or three girls who looked at her as if she hung the moon. It was quite the deterrent to crawling back into a bottle again.

 

Heimdall barely smiled and the curve of his mouth remained grim. His great sword hung down his back and his far-seeing eyes were shrouded. He gazed often out the windows and made minute adjustments to the ship’s path. He spoke very little to Thor unless it was to offer advice or give warning. Otherwise, he was a silent presence that most avoided.

 

Most but not all. The former prisoners from Sakaar were in a curious limbo regarding their own place on the ship. They were from different planets without allegiance to Asgard but they listened to Thor. And they helped wherever they could. Valkyrie spent time with them and brought forward the ones who wanted to help with her.

 

Korg and Miek spent most of their time on the bridge with Heimdall. Often navigating the ship and engaging the former gatekeeper in small talk. Thor would find Heimdall staring at the two with amusement and puzzlement. Korg would debate the finer points of free speech and then turn around and ponder the finer points of gladiator fighting and strategy. Miek would watch them both and click quietly to himself.

 

‘We should set course for Earth,’ said Thor, after perusing the star charts that Heimdall had found and had laid out.

 

‘Earth?’ asked Valkyrie, tilting her head slightly and eyeing Thor as if he was still a prize specimen on Sakaar.

 

‘We have allies on Earth,’ said Thor. ‘Dr Banner’s home is there. The least we can do is drop him off.’

 

‘We could set up a temporary home there,’ added Heimdall. ‘Was your father not living there for a time?’

 

Loki avoided Heimdall’s eye and merely nodded his head. He was muted around Heimdall, speaking only when spoken to and skirting around the edges both physically and verbally.

 

Thor, after glancing at Loki, turned and answered Heimdall. ‘He was… although I only was able to see him for a very short time.’

 

‘Chasing Infinity Stones?’ asked Heimdall although it really wasn’t a question. He raised a dark brow at Thor who raised his own fair ones back.

 

‘I thought it would be wise to find them. Seeing as Thanos would dearly love to possess all of them,’ replied Thor.

 

Heimdall sighed. ‘Indeed. I have heard strange tales as of late and while I would normally dismiss such stories… Recent events have shown that perhaps these are not children’s stories.’

 

‘Maybe not. We have one Infinity Stone in our possession. Another is in someone else. I know not where the others are,’ confessed Thor.

 

‘So why Earth then?’ asked Heimdall. 

 

Loki raised his head and looked at Thor as well.

 

‘My friends are there. Bruce lives there…. I think if we combined forces, we could meet Thanos head to head. We’d have a chance,’ said Thor.

 

Valkyrie snorted. She’d been sitting nearby, listening to the conversation. ‘A chance against Thanos? You do know who he is, do you?’

 

‘I do,’ answered Thor. ‘But even he has his weaknesses...And we all have our strengths. I think we have a chance.’

 

Loki shook himself like a dog. ‘Think all you want, brother. But you against Thanos is like a mouse against a cat. The cat wins every time… and its claws and teeth are much sharper.’

 

Thor turned towards his brother but Loki only shook his head, bowed respectfully towards Heimdall and Valkyrie, and left.

 

Valkyrie frowned. ‘A bit of history there?’ she asked suspiciously.

 

‘A bit,’ replied Thor, a slight smile turning up the corners of his mouth. 

 

**

 

Thor managed to track down Loki through a spell Frigga had taught him when Loki was of the age to disappear for hours at a time. It scared and enraged Thor as he wanted to know where his brother was. He didn’t understand why Loki kept away.

 

Frigga had taught him how to narrow down the vicinity of where Loki might be but not the exact location. ‘We all have the right to retreat without fear of retaliation,’ she told Thor. It took Thor an embarrassingly long time to understand what his mother was telling him.

 

‘Loki, are you there?’ asked Thor in a pitch so it carried but didn’t disturb anyone who might be nearby.

 

There was a sigh and a rustle of clothing and then Loki unfolded himself from where he’d been sheltered. 

 

‘What is it, brother?’ asked Loki, his tone waspish but not as cutting sharp as it had been on occasion.

 

‘I was worried,’ answered Thor, simply. He might have sneered at Loki at one time, baited him to anger, but that time was in the past and now he preferred to answer Loki without any teasing.

 

‘Nothing to worry about,’ said Loki. He hadn’t moved from where he was sitting and his face was half in shadow and half in the light. 

 

‘I disagree but I’ve learned not to argue with you. I’m not calling you a liar but I am saying you  _ might _ be dodging the truth somewhat,’ said Thor.

 

Loki stared at Thor and then laughed. ‘You’re getting better at this. Is ruling giving you wisdom, o brother mine?’

 

‘It can’t give what is already there,’ replied Thor, smiling wryly.

 

‘Says you,’ returned Loki, a slight smile tugging at his mouth, his eyes losing their feral light. He looked contemplative and worried despite what he’d told Thor.

 

‘Says me,’ said Thor, firmly. He looked out the window that was opposite Loki, saw the stars tumbling past them, the light of a distant moon spilling through the window and casting shadows in the room.

 

‘What do you want?’ asked Loki, his tone weary. He rubbed his hands over his face and where Thor could see the shadows under his eyes.

 

‘Have you been sleeping?’ asked Thor, softly.

 

‘Not particularly well,’ said Loki. ‘The ship is crowded, there are children everywhere I look, and precious little privacy for anyone.’ Loki sighed and continued. ‘We are running on borrowed time.’

 

Thor leaned against the wall near Loki but giving him plenty of room. He knew Loki would be less forthcoming if he felt trapped. ‘You are referring to Thanos.’

 

‘I am referring to many things,’ retorted Loki. He glanced at Thor and looked away again. ‘We need to find a home for our people. I don’t know if Earth is the right choice. There are other worlds.’

 

‘There are,’ agreed Thor easily. ‘But I want to return Bruce to his home first. We can give our people a choice once we’re there. We can settle there or we can find somewhere else. It might be difficult though.’

 

‘We are an advanced people,’ pointed out Loki. ‘Do you think these humans would be so willing to have us amongst them? They are  _ still _ a primitive people in many ways. And their fear will turn to hate quickly enough.’

 

‘If we established a colony there… somewhere out of easy reach…. we could keep our distance and that would be reassuring,’ suggested Thor.

 

Loki was already shaking his head in disagreement. ‘No…. there would be restrictions and rules and whatever else put into place to make sure we know  _ our _ place. I dislike this very much.’

 

Thor nodded. ‘You have a point. Maybe after we drop off Dr Banner we can consider other options.’

 

‘You would… you would do that?’ asked Loki, his eyes wide.

 

‘Why would I not? What you’re saying is unfortunately true and I don’t want our people suffering anymore trauma. I want us to be where we’re welcomed and where we can put our lives back together,’ said Thor.

 

‘Huh. You might have this ruler thing down pat after all,’ teased Loki. 

 

Thor snickered. ‘Maybe. I would like to see my friends though. I miss them.’

 

‘Even Dr Foster?’ asked Loki, his tone light.

 

‘We agreed it would be some time before we were ready to see each other again,’ said Thor, evenly. ‘Do not poke at that, brother. It is still raw.’

 

‘But that’s my nature, is it not? To rub people the wrong way?’ asked Loki. 

 

Thor shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. ‘It’s your defense mechanism.’

 

Loki looked down. ‘All this time, I thought if I only had your attention, if I only was loved as much as you were, things would be better, would be different.’ He laughed, a sharp bark that raised the hair on the back of Thor’s neck.

 

‘And here we are. You listen to me… you see me as I am…. and I was loved by father, though it took him until his own death to tell me. We are sojourners, Thor. We are at the mercy of the kindness of strangers in worlds not our own and I do not know if I am pleased by thinking that those who held me in disdain are now miserable. I _ should _ be. There should be no question in my mind.’ Loki hunched his shoulders up. ‘It may be my lot in life to be dissatisfied.’

 

Thor walked over to Loki and put his hand on his shoulder. ‘Peace, brother. The status quo has changed. No need to fret so.’

 

Loki glanced up at Thor and then at Thor’s hand. ‘Careful, brother. One might mistake your actions for true affection.’

 

Thor rolled his eyes. ‘I would rather you stab me with your little knife than question how I feel about you.’

 

Loki reared up suddenly, pressing his body’s against Thor’s, his hands pressed against Thor’s chest.

 

Thor breathed deep and looked down at Loki. ‘What’s this then?’

 

‘When we were younger, you told me that if things were different, we’d rule side by side... ‘ began Loki, spreading his fingers out.

 

‘Yes. I did,’ agreed Thor.

 

Loki glanced up at Thor through his dark lashes, his gaze both coy and mocking. ‘You told me that it would be more than brother and brother. Do you remember?’

 

Thor swallowed. ‘I do remember. And you laughed at me, told  _ me _ that it was silly to voice such wishes.’

 

Loki looked away. ‘I knew father expected you to marry and give Asgard heirs.’

 

‘Are you not a shape shifter? Couldn’t  _ you _ provide me with heirs?’ asked Thor patiently, setting his own hands over Loki’s.

 

‘Don’t tease me, brother,’ whispered Loki.

 

‘I am  _ not _ teasing you,’ said Thor, his voice just a shade louder than Loki’s.

 

Loki stared at him, hunger and want in his eyes before he stepped back and shook his head. ‘We were children then, brother. We aren’t children now.’

 

‘Loki,’ began Thor as Loki shook his head and walked away swiftly, not turning as Thor called for him.

 

**

It wasn’t his intention but somehow Loki found himself on the bridge where Heimdall for once was alone. It was rare to see him without Korg or Miek nearby. 

 

‘You have spoken to your brother,’ said Heimdall, turning slightly and pinning Loki with his golden gaze.

 

Loki opened and closed his mouth. He stared back at Heimdall and watched a series of emotions skirt across the other’s face.

 

‘It took you long enough,’ muttered Heimdall, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

Loki defensively mimicked him, his lip curling up into a familiar sneer. ‘I wasn’t aware you were so interested in this relationship.’

 

‘When you were younger, Odin asked me what I thought of Thor’s love for you,’ said Heimdall, settling into a chair and staring out the window, glancing down once to check the ship’s progress.

 

Loki’s legs folded themselves down without Loki’s conscious decision; it had to be shock. His voice was faint as he said, ‘I wasn’t aware you  _ were _ so invested in my love life.’

 

Heimdall snorted with amusement and his eyes gleamed as he said, ‘Your mother had her suspicions and asked if I knew anything. I told her it wasn’t my business.’

 

Loki raised his eyebrows. ‘And how did mother take that?’

 

‘She replied she was only worried about you getting hurt. She knew Thor could be capricious and knew he didn’t always treat you well. She wanted to protect you the best she could,’ replied Heimdall.

 

‘Where does father fit into this all?’ asked Loki, consciously using the word ‘father’ for the first time without bitterness or anger; it felt strange on his tongue.

 

‘He wanted to know why Thor was moping around and you were skittish. Frigga was walking around literally wringing her hands and Odin was worried for all of you,’ said Heimdall. 

 

‘Sounds like one big family drama,’ said Loki, a snicker escaping from him.

 

‘It was distracting me from  _ my _ business of keeping an eye on the Nine Realms. So I told them both that I’d watch you two and make sure things were satisfactory. And that’s it. No more. I had no desire to involve myself more than I already was,’ explained Heimdall.

 

‘What did you find?’ asked Loki, intrigued.

 

‘I found that your brother loved you,’ said Heimdall, shrugging his shoulders. ‘He wanted to please his father, yes but he also wanted to have you by his side. He thought that once he was ruler of Asgard, he could do just that.’

 

‘Wouldn’t that have been a problem with the people? They’d want an heir to the throne,’ pointed out Loki.

 

‘That shouldn’t be a problem for you,’ said Heimdall, slowly unfolding himself from his chair and walking over to gently poke Loki’s breastbone.

 

Loki froze. 

 

‘Shapeshifting is a rare gift but has been done before,’ said Heimdall, his voice gentle. ‘If you and Thor had been able to progress further, if you had been raised with knowledge of your past, then perhaps that would have been addressed in time.’

 

Loki looked at Heimdall, searching his face for disgust or distaste. ‘You aren’t… you’re different.’

 

‘How so?’

 

‘I thought you only regarded me as a liability to Odin, a necessary inconvenience,’ replied Loki.

 

‘Odin chose to bring you home and adopt you. It is entirely on him for not being truthful to you about your heritage and birthright. You might have made a different choice if you’d known,’ said Heimdall. ‘I am no seer. I can see far and wide but I can’t predict the future. All I can do is advise and hope my words are listened to.’

 

‘And you advised Odin and were ignored,’ stated Loki, reading between the lines.

 

‘I thought it wiser to talk to Frigga instead,’ said Heimdall. He crossed the room and stared out at the stars. ‘She was better at understanding the matters of the heart.’

 

Loki closed his eyes in grief. ‘She always did know me best.’

 

‘So. While I’ve been distant from you, that has been my job as watcher and guide. I have stayed aloof from most of Asgard. Not until Hela came back have I become close again to my people,’ ended Heimdall.

 

‘What did you tell mother?’ asked Loki.

 

Heimdall sighed. ‘I told her that if Thor matures and if you can remember the love that bound you to him in the early years… that perhaps you two will end up together. Perhaps the hurt and bitterness and anger that honed the sharp side of you will dull in time. Or you’d keep it sharp but would be willing to sheath your deadliness until needed.’

 

Loki’s eyes widened. ‘Did it satisfy her?’

 

‘It was enough. She continued to watch over you and I… I did my best to keep the balance,’ answered Heimdall.

 

Loki nodded. 

 

‘So. Will you take up with Thor again? Will we have two rulers of Asgard?’ asked Heimdall.

 

‘Would you acknowledge me as his equal?’ retorted Loki.

 

‘Haven’t I already?’ answered Heimdall, a wry smile curving his mouth.

 

Loki snorted, dipped his head in acknowledgement, and left.

 

**

 

‘Would you wed me?’ asked Loki, finding Thor in his small but tidy private quarters. Thor was sprawled on his bed and his legs dangled over the side.

 

‘Where did this come from?’ asked Thor, his eyes wide and his mouth open a little.

 

‘I asked you a question,’ said Loki, gently closing the door behind him.

 

‘We’ve got a lot of talking to do before we get to that part of things. I’m still vulnerable after  my breakup with Jane and yes, she might only be human but she was very smart and wise in her way. I miss her still,’ murmured Thor. He looked down, twisting his fingers together.

 

‘You don’t want to try again?’ asked Loki, wondering why he was tormenting himself like this. 

 

‘No. We came to an understanding. I will always love her and she will always love me. But it simply isn’t meant to be,’ explained Thor. 

 

‘I’m sorry. No, I am, brother. I understand why you would doubt my words but…. I do mean them,’ said Loki.

 

Thor nodded, brushing his hand over his short hair and winced. ‘Thank you. I am not used to this… my hair shorn like a sheep.’

 

‘You don’t look so bad,’ said Loki. ‘At least it won’t tangle at the slightest whim.’

 

‘There is that,’ agreed Thor. ‘I lost father, my hair, my eye, my homeworld… Heimdall said that Asgard is the people… and we lost many of those as well. The Warriors Three are no more.’

 

‘I… I wasn’t sure. I am sorry you lost your companions,’ said Loki. ‘Do you know what happened to Sif?’

 

‘The Lady Sif wasn’t here when Hela attacked. That is a small mercy, perhaps. I know not how to tell her about this. It will devastate her,’ said Thor, heaving a sigh and rolling over on his side.

 

‘It will hopefully help to know that we are safe. And headed to Earth despite my misgivings,’ said Loki, his voice dry.

 

‘Dr Banner needs to get back home. And I need to check in with my friends as well. And get our people settled, if that’s what is best for all of us,’ said Thor.

 

‘Fair enough. I just think it’s a horrible horrible idea,’ said Loki, leaning against the wall and shrugging his shoulders.

 

‘Well. At least we’re still here to have ideas. We have time to talk now, Loki. And put things aside that should have been discussed a long time ago,’ said Thor.

 

‘And then what?’ asked Loki, tilting his head and regarding Thor with a small smile.

 

‘Come here,’ suggested Thor, patting the small amount of space left on the bed.

 

Loki rolled his eyes but walked over to the bed and sat down, leaning against Thor. ‘Better?’

 

‘Much,’ replied Thor, his tone just as dry as Loki’s had been moments before. 

 

After a moment, Thor gently put his arm around Loki’s waist and Loki snuggled against Thor, relishing the warmth and closeness.

 

‘Remember when you were little? And you’d crawl into my bed when it stormed?’ asked Thor.

 

Loki merely nodded his head, his eyes half open, listening to Thor’s voice.

 

‘I told you there was nothing to be afraid of because I would never let the storm hurt you. And you would fall asleep next to me there. You trusted me,’ said Thor, his voice now soft and barely audible.

 

‘When times were rough, I remembered us giggling in the dark, imagining all sorts of creatures in the shape of lightning. You told me you would never be afraid of the lightning because I would be there to soften the thunder,’ added Thor.

 

‘Sentiment, brother,’ chided Loki. 

 

‘Mayhaps,’ agreed Thor. ‘But it helped me through some dark times. It gave me hope.’

 

‘I’m not afraid of the lightning. I’m just not over fond of what comes after,’ teased Loki. ‘You and your hammer. Although you no longer need that as a conduit. It must be strange to be the focus.’

 

‘Passing strange and getting stranger. My whole body feels different now. I can forge another hammer, I think. Something to help diffuse the power that surges and roils inside of me,’ said Thor.

 

‘Using some big words there, brother,’ teased Loki, his usual sharpness blunted by his voice now softening  his words.

 

‘When was the last time you slept?’ asked Thor, frowning down at his brother.

 

‘I honestly can’t remember. I’ve been snatching naps here and there. I haven’t been able to sleep for long,’ confessed Loki.

 

‘You have ever been fretful,’ said Thor. ‘Here, close your eyes for a little while. I’ll keep watch.’

 

‘Have you been sleeping?’ asked Loki, closing his eyes and pressing against Thor’s warmth.

 

‘Here and there. A king doesn’t rest for long. There is always something that must be attended to without hesitation. Our people are worried and their tempers are sharp with it. I’ve had to sit judgment on three arguments alone today,’ answered Thor.

 

‘That sounds tiring in itself. Peasants,’ mocked Loki fondly, a faint smile curling the corners of his mouth up.

 

‘But I am not tired yet. So take a rest, brother. I’ll watch over you,’ repeated Thor, squeezing Loki’s shoulders gently.

 

Loki’s breathing evened out and his head was heavy upon Thor’s shoulder. Thor glanced down at him, studying the way his face looked while sleeping. Loki looked less tense, much younger, and softer. 

 

Thor gently brushed some hair away from Loki’s face, tucking it behind his ear. He relished the quiet, the sound of Loki breathing deeply, and the steady thrum of the ship around them. It almost lulled him to sleep but he didn’t want Loki to wake up and feel abandoned, vulnerable without his big brother watching over him.

 

Besides, Thor’s mind was spinning with so many thoughts. He wondered if he’d get glimpses of his father again. He hoped it wasn’t always when he was in dire danger; the jolt to his heart of adrenaline and longing was going to be the end of him. He hoped that his friends were well and that when he came back, they might have an inkling of where any of those Infinity Stones were. It was imperative they found them and kept them away from anyone who might want them. 

 

Thor thought of Jane briefly and their last moments together. Jane’s eyes were filled with tears but she smiled as she kissed him for the last time. Thor acknowledged her words were nothing but gentle truth; it hurt but even that was easing given the passing of time. All the love in the world between them didn’t bridge their vast differences. Jane needed to stay grounded on Earth. Thor could visit but his people needed him and he just… it wasn’t fair to Jane. But it had been so hard.

 

Thor blew out his breath and stretched without moving as much as he could. He thought over Loki’s question of marriage and turned the idea over and over in his mind. It wasn’t like he couldn’t marry Loki. Nothing prohibited him from doing so. And it wasn’t as though the idea was abhorrent to him. 

 

Thor found himself reacting to the idea of having Loki as his husband, as his confidant, and as his lover. He had traded kisses with Loki before, had fumbled with hand jobs and on one memorable occasion, had persuaded Loki to pleasure him with his mouth. Thor wanted more than adolescent experiences. He wanted Loki stretched out beneath him, breathless with anticipation, his eyes hooded and gleaming beneath his lids. He wanted Loki panting for breath, leaving furrows in Thor’s shoulders, sharp nails digging in. 

 

Thor groaned softly and stifled the urge to wake Loki. Loki needed his sleep. Thor’s own needs could wait a bit longer. Besides, he wasn’t lying when he said he needed more time. He would always love Jane and would always think of her with the greatest respect. Perhaps being amongst Midgardians was influencing him more than he thought; heartbreak wasn’t unknown on Asgard but Thor managed to avoid anything serious. A few minor crushes, a week when he moped about but that was it. Until now.

 

Thor understood that Loki wanted him without any rivals. Jane would be tolerated as a memory, as a dalliance but nothing more. Loki respected her intelligence and intuition but he would not tolerate her as a ghost in his life. So. That was clear enough. 

 

In his youth, Thor might have agreed readily to Loki’s demands and then simmered and stewed privately, resenting the constraints laid upon him. This time, though, Thor knew that while Loki might want Jane to be less important for Loki’s own gratification, that wasn’t necessarily what was going to happen. Thor wasn’t going to compromise his feelings or his history with Jane. Loki would also have to take his hard won maturity and wisdom and put it to use.

 

Now though, it would do them both good to take time and get to know each other again. Thor wanted to court Loki in high Asgardian fashion. It would amuse, irritate, and appease Loki in turn. Thor would be amused and pleased to see Loki confounded for once. Asgard was no more so of course, the jewelry, the ornamental weapons, the small gifts that marked a courtship would be absent. 

 

There would be other worlds though. Jewelry, ornamental weapons, small gifts… these could be found throughout the nine realms and Midgard had an embarrassment of riches when it came to courting gifts. Thor knew he could find unique items that would please even Loki’s fickle appetite.

 

The night went on and Thor’s thoughts drifted, his arms holding securely onto Loki’s body. Loki stirred a couple of times but slept on and Thor fell into that strange fugue state of awake and semi dreaming.

 

Loki woke up, feeling rested and alert. It was an odd feeling as he’d been running on fumes for so long. He needed that sleep and pushed down the automatic feeling of resentment towards Thor. It was his choice to stay and let his defences down. His brother didn’t push or nag at him. Loki sighed to himself; this was the new normal.

 

It wasn’t a bad normal, Loki admitted to himself. He just hated how at ease it made him feel. He didn’t have to question Thor’s feelings for him. He didn’t have to work to gain Thor’s attention. It was the same with their father in the end. He knew Frigga loved him; she taught him to defend himself and encouraged his magical studies. He always thought his father viewed him as a living trophy. It was unsettling to realize that while Odin might have thought that, it wasn’t the whole story. It was far more complicated and deeper than Loki knew. 

 

Loki would have given anything to have Odin look him in the eye, tell him he was proud of his magic, tell him he was loved. He felt cheated that it was only at the end of Odin’s life that he heard the words he yearned to hear. But at least he heard them from Odin’s lips, saw the look of pride and love on Odin’s face. It healed some of the hurts inside. As he told Thor earlier, he heard what he needed. 

 

And now he could move forward. He could court Thor in a manner that befitted the ruler of Asgard. He could help his people find a home again. It was all falling into place and Loki wasn’t going to question his new fortune. It was everything he’d dreamed of when he was a child, stealing glances at his brother. It was what he schemed for as an adult, setting into motion events that hurtled forwards without his say. It was what he hoped to look back on when he was silver haired, a match to his silver tongue. 

 

Thor smiled down at him and Loki couldn’t help but smile back, wryness tinging his expression. Ever since he was small, he looked up to his brother. He remembered telling Thor that he was always overshadowed, always in the shade whenever Thor was around. What Loki now realized was that Thor protected him, kept the harshness of judgment and aloofness from him. It took some maturity on Thor’s part but he was the big brother that Loki wanted. 

 

There was a sudden thrum in the ship and Thor and Loki looked up. Thor frowned while Loki barely moved, his stillness long perfected.

 

‘What is it?’ asked Thor.

 

‘I don’t know but let’s find out,’ answered Loki, unease in his gut.

 

They quickly strode  onto the bridge as Heimdall waited for them, his gaze focused on something ahead of them. Korg and Miek were at the controls, waiting for instructions.

 

Thor looked and barely felt Loki grip his arm.

 

‘That ship…’ breathed Loki. He shook himself and turned to Thor. ‘Whatever else happens, know that I love you.’

 

‘Loki?’ asked Thor but Loki only pressed his lips together and looked at Heimdall.

 

‘We’ll do what we can,’ said Heimdall. ‘It has been an honour.’

 

‘The honour has been all mine, Heimdall. Thank you,’ said Loki quietly. ‘There is something I must do. Forgive me but know I tried.’

 

Thor was about to say something but Loki shook his head and pressed his lips to Thor’s. It was too quick, too brief but it burned against Thor’s lips like the most potent of mead.

 

Loki rushed away from them both without looking back.

 

‘My King?’ asked Heimdall.

 

‘Let’s prepare ourselves. Asgard is our people and I won’t let our people down,’ replied Thor with new strength.

 

Heimdall nodded and with one last look at the ship hovering before them, spoke to Korg and Miek quietly. ‘Shields and defenses set. Join us when you can.’

 

Korg nodded, his usually pleasant face grim. ‘Will do. This isn’t good. Be careful, Thor.’

 

‘Thank you my friend. I’ll see you both soon,’ said Thor. He left and Heimdall followed.

 

Miek clicked to Korg who shook his head. ‘I dunno if we’ll get out of this one. But at least we can say we fought as free warriors and not enslaved ones. We aren’t easy prey. It has been a good life. I am not afraid.’

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
